Oh, Omaha - part 2

Now that you've seen a taste of our trip to Omaha, it's time to show you the main event - the wedding!

Caleb and Kelly had a vintage/Irish theme going on that used frames to tie everything together.

The theme started with the engagement shoot. I think this is a super creative idea!

... and continued on the "save the date" cards (actually magnets with this picture and wedding info).

The wedding was held in a local art museum, which carried the theme along very well with all the framed art. We were even allowed to stroll through the galleries during the cocktail hour, and the bride and groom were married in front of this awesome art:

The blown glass was beautiful in the light.

I thought this quote was just right.

The Bride's flowers picked up the Irish side of the theme with the shamrock pin my mom gave to Kelly. My brother wore cuff links and a tie tack with a Celtic knot design.

We took lots of family photos after the ceremony!

The reception area was in a huge indoor courtyard, with art galleries on each side. 

The tables were decorated with woven ribbons in shades of green and frames around candles or flowers.

I'm sure my brother picked out the groom's cake himself! I guess it sort of goes with the vintage theme!

The rest of the cake table stays true to the vintage/Irish/Frame vibe. And the cake was super good!

We spent the rest of the night dancing and taking silly photos in the frame photo booth Kelly stocked with crazy props.

We love fun, nontraditional weddings in our family: Brad and I had our garden party reception in an elementary school with sod on the buffet table and krispy kremes for a cake, and Caleb and Kelly had a wedding in an art museum and a Huskers themed rehearsal dinner. Since we've set the awesome bar pretty high, Hannah and Jacob, you better come up with something crazy and cool when it's your turn!

What's the most unique wedding idea you've encountered?

<3

Hattie

Oh, Omaha

The family descends on Omaha! My Brother married his girlfriend, Kelly, last weekend in Omaha, NE.

 From top to bottom: Brad, my grandma, me, my brother Jacob, my mom, my sister Hannah, and my dad.

Our arrival in Omaha ( fun fact number 1: the airport was actually in Iowa) marked a number of firsts for our family. My Grandma, mom, and Jacob had never flown before. Brad had never been to the Midwest, and I had never ventured further west than Chicago. Although NE is very different than VA, and everyone thought we had southern accents (I found this hilarious, because everyone from NC south thinks Virginians sound like northerners) we really enjoyed our trip to the Midwest. We discovered that Omaha is an art appreciating, food loving, hipster kind of town, and fun fact number 2: we did not see any corn!

We were starving after a long day of traveling, so after a quick stop at the hotel, we had a late dinner at Spaghetti Works. The food here was OK, but the real star was the awesome, quirky decor!

From the old-fashioned fortune tellers that greet you at the door,

to the crazy cool light fixtures, this place had great eye candy. 

We thought the area around the restaurant seemed fun, so we decided to go back the next day and check things out. We discovered it was called Old Market and full of antique stores, funky clothing stores, and lots and lots of yummy places to eat.

Our first stop, after an amazing breakfast at WheatFields, was a soda fountain/candy store/antiques market called Fairmont Antiques and Mercantile 

This wall of pinball games made me want to start a collection of my own.

My sister rocking the retro cool of this hot pink car.

Our shopping excursion was dampened by a steady rain, but that didn't stop us from ducking in and out of nearly every retail store! We finally found some relief from the weather in a covered courtyard area between the shops called the passageway.

Brad and I, very happy to be dry for a moment!

Mom and Hannah were happy too! Fun fact number 3: Everywhere we went, people thought Hannah and I were twins. We've only been told that one time in our lives, but at least three people thought so in NE.  

After a day of window shopping, we had a lovely rehearsal and dinner ( more on that later). The day of the wedding, we had a few hours before we needed to gussy up, so we took in The Durham Museum.

The Museum is housed in the old train station and has lots and lots of art deco details.

It also had fun sculptures in the lobby that talked to you about the heyday of rail travel.

Downstairs, we learned all about the history of Omaha, went through an emotional exhibit of Pulitzer Prize winning photographs, and had a blast playing on the train exhibits.

My grandma deemed it, " The best museum I've ever been to." 

Stay tuned for more details on the big day!

<3

Hattie

PS, What's your favorite random American city to visit? I wouldn't have picked Omaha as a vacation destination, but it turned out to be a really fun city with lots to do. I want to add some more looked over cities to my travel list!

Weekend Christmas Fun

Sunday, Brad and I enjoyed our annual trip to Williamsburg to celebrate the Grand Illumination with our friends Tracy and Tim.

In addition to enjoying very yummy and very unhealthy food,

and finding crafty inspiration in the gift shops,

we also stopped by my parents’ booth at the arts and craft fair.

Their booth looked way too cute not to snap a few pictures.

I love how they used an antique snack display stand to hold bags of Christmas ornaments.

My mom shares my love of vintage ornaments and ephemera,

I love the cute elf on my dad’s newest tin cart!
We had such a lovely afternoon, topped off by beautiful fireworks and a trip to Starbucks on the way home!

Did you have a Christmassy weekend?

<3
Hattie

I Love a Parade

Last weekend Brad and I scoped out the Richmond Parade of Homes for fun house ideas. I covertly snapped some our favorite designs. I apologize in advance for some blurry, “hurry up before the realtor starts talking to us," pics!

Our favorite exterior

Really, what’s not to love here? From the pitched roof, to the red window panes, to the big front door, I swooned over this house from the curb.

Our favorite entrance

Bead board? Check! Hidden storage? Check! Bench for shoe removal? Check!

Our favorite sink

Love, love, love the simple vessel sink and custom cabinet. I’d swap out that granite for something more marble-like, but otherwise I’m a big fan!

Our favorite shower

Two, count ‘em, two shower heads. Built in benches. Built in shampoo nook. Marble. ‘Nuff said.

Our favorite closet

This thing was bigger than our office. I love that it’s all wood, no plastic or wire shelving. Tons of hanging space and lots of room for shoes and bags sealed the deal.

Our favorite pantry

The organizational nut in me loves this. How great would it be to easily see all your dry goods in one glance? Pull out shelves and baskets make me extra happy.

Our favorite door

I feel for the details on this simple, yet classy, door. I know it’s just a door, but ::sigh::

Our favorite foyer

The lovely grey/blue/green paint had me liking it. The beautiful molding had me loving it. And the awesome mercury glass stars had me grabbing for my camera.

What details make a house stand out for you? Do you go nuts over beautiful floors? Do custom cabinets have you drooling? Spill the beans on your favorite little extras!

<3
Hattie

Fun at the flea

Over the weekend, I joined my parents and brother for a road trip to the Shenandoah Antiques Expo in Fishersville, VA.

We’d never attended this twice yearly flea market, so the sheer size of exhibit space stunned us. In addition to four buildings, over 100 booths were also set up outside. We quickly discovered that the “real” antiques with the real big price tags were located inside the buildings, while the fun and much more affordable “junk” was outside.

I seriously could have snapped photos in nearly every booth, but that would have cut into my treasure hunting. I did manage to capture a few cool items.

I love the shabby paint job on this chunky dresser. Although white paint will always be my first love, I’m really digging the washed out greens, blues, and greys that lend a beachy vibe.

OK, this porch swing needs a serious paint strip and a fun new stain or color, but how cool is it? I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I could instantly imagine myself curled up on the porch on a fall day with a mug of cider and a good book.

My mom is smiling because she snagged this awesome cabinet. I love everything about it from the blue/grey paint and bead board backing, to the wavy glass and porcelain knobs. The $300 price tag wasn’t shabby either! She’s going to use it to store linens outside her new bathroom.

I didn’t walk away empty handed either - shocker, I know!

The price tag calls it a sage fall gathering basket. I call it gorgeous! The dealer had it marked down from $22 to $5. The best part? In one of the buildings, a basket in a similar color and size was priced at $700! I don’t know if Martha Washington wove that basket or what, but it made me doubly pleased at my five buck treasure!

I also picked up some supplies for fun necklaces. I couldn’t resist a lucky number 7 key and pretty vintage beads.

Finally, I caved and bought more fall decorating supplies. The gourds were only a buck each, and the mini pumpkin was .50 cents, so I don't feel too bad.

I’ve already put the basket and gourds to work in the roost, so stay tuned for a simple fall arrangement, coming soon to a blog near you!

What’s the best deal you’ve ever scored at a flea market? I love a good bargain story!

<3
Hattie